The Poisoned Chalice: Raila’s Betrayal, Ruto’s Curse, and the Fall of a Political Titan

There was a time when Raila Odinga’s name was spoken with reverence. Baba, the enigma, the embodiment of resistance, the last standing warrior in a battlefield littered with the skeletons of betrayed dreams. But even the tallest tree must remember that it is the wind that made it sway. Raila forgot. He mistook our loyalty for servitude. He mistook our silence for blindness. And so, the same wind that lifted him high now howls through the ruins of his failed bid for the African Union Commission (AUC).

The elders say, “A man who chases two rats catches none.” Raila, in his twilight years, wanted to be both a liberator and a politician of convenience. But liberation and betrayal cannot share the same pot, and when the youth of Kenya cried out for justice, he dined with their oppressors. His failure at the AUC elections was not just a rejection by Africa—it was a rejection by the very people who had once carried him on their shoulders.

On June 25, 2024, the youth of Kenya took to the streets. They had no sponsors, no godfathers, no tribal lords behind them. Only a burning desire to reclaim their country from the jaws of corruption, impunity, and tyranny. Their voices shook the city, and Parliament trembled. The Finance Bill, a cruel weapon designed to tighten the noose on the poor, was abandoned. Ministers lost their jobs. An entire Cabinet was sent packing. The people had spoken. But where was Baba?

Read Also: Western Kenya Restless As Ruto And Raila Sideline the Populous Region In Their Broad-Based Government

He was not in the trenches. He was not among the fallen. He was not holding the hands of grieving mothers. Instead, he was smiling, shaking hands with the very man whose government had opened fire on his own people. “A man who shakes hands with a snake should not be surprised when he is bitten,” the wise men say. The youth watched in horror. Baba had sold them for silver.

And so, when Raila declared his intention to contest for the AU Chairmanship, the youth did not forget. The streets of Kenya had been washed with the blood of their comrades. Nineteen young Kenyans had been murdered in broad daylight. Rex Kanyeki Masai fell first, outside Parliament, his blood a crimson protest against state brutality. Hundreds were injured, many were abducted, some still missing. Their screams still echoed in the air, their absence still felt in their homes. And Raila wanted to be their representative on the continental stage?

We could not allow it. We took our rage to the digital battlefields, where hashtags are mightier than bullets. The world heard our cry. The world saw the receipts. The AU was put on notice: Kenya’s most famous opposition leader had become a man willing to trade justice for political favors. And so, when the votes were cast, they did not vote for Raila. They voted against him.

But Raila was not the only reason for his downfall. The hyena that follows the man with meat is the one that ends up dead. Raila’s biggest mistake was drinking from the poisoned chalice that is William Ruto. The moment he shook hands with Ruto, his fate was sealed.

Ruto has been the single most destructive force in Kenya’s foreign policy. His reckless decisions, his eagerness to be the West’s puppet, his contempt for African unity—all these made Raila unelectable on the continental stage.

It started with his blind support for Israel in its genocidal war on Gaza. At a time when the world was turning against colonial injustice, Ruto stood on the wrong side of history. African leaders took note. Raila, by association, became guilty by proximity.

Then came Ruto’s failure in the DRC peace talks. The mission had been clear: stabilize the region, show Kenya’s leadership in East Africa. But Ruto, in his usual arrogance, miscalculated. His handling of the military mission in the Congo made Kenya look like a fraud—a state that talks big but delivers nothing. Francophone Africa saw through the charade and turned its back on Kenya’s candidate.

And then came the BRICS snub. South Africa, the powerhouse of the AU, invited Ruto to the BRICS summit. He declined. Instead, he flew to Washington, eager to please Biden. This was the final insult. South Africa saw Kenya as a Western lapdog, a nation more concerned with pleasing old colonial masters than building African unity.

Raila’s campaign never recovered from these diplomatic disasters. He had hitched his fate to Ruto’s sinking ship, and by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.

But even beyond the diplomatic failures, there was another factor that sealed Raila’s fate: the decay of Kenya’s diplomatic corps. Our ambassadors are no longer diplomats. They are failed politicians, campaign rally organizers, and political sycophants. Remember, Kenya has over 20 missions and embassies across the 54 African states and Djibouti has 8. When you put numbers into context, it truly shows just how far we have fallen. Even Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda didn’t vote for us. What does that say?

Uganda is represented by a former Deputy Governor of Kisii. Tanzania’s envoy is a Kikuyu farmer from Kitale. Rwanda has a political lackey, while Addis Ababa—home of the AU—is entrusted to a former District Officer. Djibouti has a military officer. Somalia, a politician. Pretoria, Windhoek, Luanda, Gaborone, Lusaka—none led by career diplomats. Cairo, Rabat, Abuja, Accra, Abidjan, Dakar—same story.

This is not diplomacy. This is an auction of Kenya’s international standing. And Africa noticed.

When the final tally was done, Djibouti won. Raila lost. Kenya lost. But the youth of Kenya won. Their voices had been heard, their resistance acknowledged. Raila had been weighed and found wanting.

Now, we turn to the future. The elders say, “When the old dog refuses to learn new tricks, it must make way for the young lions.” Raila’s time is over. His betrayal was the final nail in his political coffin. The youth will no longer fight for a leader who refuses to fight for them.

The struggle continues. But it will continue without Baba. The youth have made their choice. And this time, there will be no turning back.

Read Also: Raila Odinga Eliminated in African Union Commission Chairperson Race